Fuel Injector Sludge
Ensuring the gasket seals completely is essential when removing and replacing a fuel injector. If the injector seal leaks, fuel will escape with combustion gasses and heat, accumulating black sludge all over the engine. Cleaning the diesel residue is not the biggest problem.
The fuel injector may be seized in place. If this happens, the head could be trashed in attempting to remove the seized injector. Regular visits to our shop for routine maintenance will result in our catching injector leaks before they get this bad. And we will not remove and replace your injectors to clean them without ensuring no leaks.
Broken Exhaust Flex Pipe
When they break, these troublesome parts let hot exhaust gas out in bad places. We see melted wires in Sprinters that have been towed in because they shut down while driving. The DEF system is nearby an exhaust flex pipe; we see ruined DEF components due to these leaking parts.
An advantage of having all routine service, even oil changes, done at our shop is that our mechanics will notice a developing leak that may become expensive. The oil changer shops will not offer this service.
Emissions Malfunctions
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) is used in Mercedes diesel engines to cause nitrogen oxides (NOx) to turn into pure nitrogen and pure oxygen. A tank of this fluid in your Sprinter must be refilled periodically.
To prevent owners from driving around with an empty DEF tank polluting our atmosphere, the dashboard display will warn you that only a certain number of starts will be allowed. When it counts down to zero, your vehicle will be immobilized. Even a failure of the tank heater during the summer months will cause a countdown.
Your Sprinter has NOx sensors in the exhaust stream to control the operation of the DEF system. If one of these parts malfunctions, a countdown to a tow truck will start. When the countdown begins, see us ASAP. Bringing your van to a shop with only a few starts left will greatly complicate efforts to find and fix your problem.
Limp Mode
A flashing Check Engine light and noticeably reduced power will alert you that your Sprinter is in limp mode. The limp mode exists in modern computer-controlled vehicles to protect a car from further damage and to allow owners to drive it to a repair shop. Many faults cause limp mode: sensor failures, leaking hoses, and failed actuators, are just a few.
Our technicians have years of experience with diesel engine vehicles. We will return your Mercedes Sprinter diesel to you, running better than ever, at an affordable price. Visit our website or call us at 510-793-6067 for an appointment.
